(Image courtesy of Lucasfilm)
Many moviegoers still remember the frenzy that erupted when Disney acquired Lucasfilm and announced plans for a new "Star Wars" sequel trilogy. Speculation over who would direct the first installment became nearly as heated as the perennial debate over who should play the next James Bond.
At the time, Lucasfilm was rumored to be courting several major filmmakers, with Christopher Nolan, David Fincher, Brad Bird and Guillermo del Toro reportedly among the names under consideration. Ben Affleck was also approached after directing "Argo," which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
During a recent appearance on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast, Affleck confirmed that he was indeed approached about directing "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" — but ultimately turned it down. Explaining his decision, Affleck said: "They did come to me and ask if I was interested. I’m not sure whether they were also talking to J.J. at the time, but I spoke with the people who were running things. It was one of those movies where, like I said, I love ‘Star Wars,’ but I wasn’t the right person to direct it. Someone who was more passionate about the job could have done it better than I could. It wasn’t some grand sacrifice where I walked away from this incredible opportunity. I just wasn’t sure I could make a good version of it or reinvent the franchise. Reinventing it comes with a lot of challenges, as we’ve seen. It isn’t easy. Some people have done it well, while others have faced a very opinionated fanbase. It was like plenty of other scripts I’ve been offered as a director. I’ve received far more good scripts as a director than I have as an actor, but I’ve still turned them down because I didn’t believe I could make them better than somebody else. I don’t want to direct something unless I’m confident I can make a movie I’ll ultimately be satisfied with."